TRUE SATISFACTION!
The noun ‘contentment’ occurs only once in RSV (1 Tim. 6:6), but its Gk. equivalent autarkeia appears also in 2 Cor. 9:8 as ‘enough’; the adjective autarkēs in Phil. 4:11 and the verb arkeō in Lk. 3:14; 1 Tim. 6:8; Heb. 13:5; 3 Jn. 10; see also 2 Cor. 12:9, ‘is sufficient’. autarkeia denotes freedom from reliance upon others, whether other persons or other things; hence the satisfaction of one’s needs (2 Cor. 9:8) or the control of one’s desires (1 Tim. 6:6, 8).
The Christian spirit of contentment follows the fundamental commandment of Ex. 20:17 against covetousness, the precept of Pr. 15:17; 17:1, the exhortations of the prophets against avarice (e.g. Mi. 2:2) and supremely the example and teaching of Jesus, who rebuked the discontent which grasps at material possessions to the neglect of God (Lk. 12:13–21) and who commended such confidence in our Father in heaven as will dispel all anxiety concerning physical supplies (Mt. 6:25–32). In the OT the phrase ‘be content’ (from Heb. yā’al indicates pleasure or willingness to do a certain action, usually one which has been requested by another person, e.g. Ex. 2:21; Jdg. 17:11; 2 Ki. 5:23, AV.